The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-13
HUNTED DOWN.
The Experience of Southern LOyaliSt
In 1861.
BY H D. IorrIs. KNOXVILLE, TENN.

by II. d. LOFTS, KSoXvILLE, TENN.
President Lincoln had called for - .Go0 men
10 suppress instruction Excited thongs
filled the streets Of the little mountain town of
lIeudcrsonyille, \. C. "Zcb =" Vance, our Mem
her of Congress, speaking from the porch Of
Ripley's Hotel, urged secession. and declared
that one Southern man could whip 80 Yankee:
the South would gain her independence in six
months; coffee would be - pounds 10 the dol
Jar, and domcstics six cents per yard. Calls
Tor volunteers were made al once 10 resist the
Lincoln Government, and recruiting went for
ward rapidly. Each volunteer wore "a red
flannel shirt, his hat pinned up on one side,
with star OF tim or ribbon. A large knife,
made from an old file. T. 10 Is inches long,
bcltca around the waist. completed the outfit
of the first Confederate soldiers before entering
active service Union men held their breath.
No man knew his ncighbDr.
Preparations were made 90 raise the rebel
flag iu front OF the Court house. long pole
was prepared, with ropes and pullcys i'm posi-
ton, for the grand raising. When the day
came the pole was found cut 10 pieces and bored
into IN several places with augurs. Another pole
was procured, and amid the booming Of e little
G-p7uud cannon and the yeils Of the popuiacc,
the rebel flag hoatod I'm the breeze.
The 10th \. &. was at once organized, LOO
strong 10 contained the flower of the country
ALI young men full ui hope aud daring. The
ladies of licudcT7onyI.le presented them with a
/ beautiful banner, with the inscription Hen
/ Gcr-unyil,o Rifles Ia God We Trust" cubroi-
dcrua thereon. Within "a month they were ou
/ their way 10 Virginia. The 25,h y. g. was next
Organized, and remained al AshcyiIle two or
three months, drilling hard every day until
ordered 10 the front All the Young men of
rebel symp1thlCs were now in the army. De
tails OF soldiers were securing the country
arrcsllHE all persons suspected Of Union ScHti-
mCuts aud driving them into tie army. Hun
drods of Union men fed 10 the mountains,
while their houses wCrc searched. women iu-
suited and often beaten by the rebel details.
IN the Spring Of 1862, though but l. years Of
age, | was compelled TO leave home on 20 into
] the rebel army Ny father had bitterly OPP
] posed secession from the beginning, and had
] brought down the wrath of our rebel uci-hhors
! in consequence. 4 detail OF rebel soldiers COM
/ ing IN the ncighhoThood stopped for the night
near car house. Tho officer commanding the
/ squad, while eating supper al SIR. jUhuSon's, q
rebel ncighbOr of ours was Informed by Ms
/ johnson that Old John Lofts had a son
who onght 10 be in the army lighting for his
] country. The officer remarked that lac would
take me in - next morning.
This conversation WAS overheard 10y hired
! girl living there. She came TO cur house that
night aud told me. ] at once Joined the army
/ Of scouters that filled the woods. With two
cousins attempted 10 get 10 the Union lines
/ over goo miles distant. We reached the Ten
nessee line after two nights travel, but found
We could go no farther without certain capture
/ We retraccd our steps aud father constructed
secret closet between the ceiling and the roof
OF the house TO use in ease Of emergency.
One dark, rainy night. no soldiers having
been in tho ncighborhood for several days, |
slipped into the house Everything having
been so quiet for several days / concluded 10
risk II, but felt uneasy aud restless rs | went
up stairs TO bed.
About II o'clock was awakened by my old
est sister, who told me TO be quiet and get
down stairs rs easily as possible, rs the rebels
were all around the house ! had lain down
with my clothing on, except my shoes and hat.
Picking these up, followed my sister down
stairs In the dark, passed into the kitchen and
NJ into the secret closet, while father delayed
opening the door TO the rebels. When all was
ready my sister called 10 pa as if she had just
awakened, aud asked him what was the matter
lie told her the yard was full Of rebels who
declared ] was in the house and they had come
for me. Ny sister at once lighted a candle
and told father 10 open the door and let them
look, as he would get rid Of them a good deal
! quicker by doing so. Father then opened the
| door, and the soldiers filed the house az once
declaring they had me- as / was seen going
| home. They searched every room; in the
closets, under the beds and in the beds. Finally
one Of them, pulling open the back door and
! looking out into the darkness, shouted, 4" Here
he is, boys, in this room" Ny sister told him
that was the room i was in, aud 10 find me if
they could. After searching tho house thor
| oughly, as they thought they left, yowing they
would have me yet. | remained in the hidden
| closet all day, knowing the house was watched
Just at dusk, disguised in my sisters clothes
took the water bucket and went 10 the spring
about 200 yards away i'm the woods Leaving
the bucket and my sisters dress and bonnet at
| the spring, / started to Aunt Aliens" 10
miles away in the mountains. Travelling
! through the woods and fields, aud avoiding
the public roads, ] arrived at my aunt's about
| daylight Her oldest son was hiding out in
the woods. He had dug hole in the side of n
| hill in a dense laurel thczet overlook ing his
| home. 1t was so hidden that we often had
trouble finding ii at night, always going diff
] icrent route so as not 10 make a path. We had
| the floor of this retreat covered with straw
In this place we hid away in daytime for two
| or three months, only coming out at night aud
never going TO the house when we could avoid
At. Aunt would cook weeks provisions for
us at a time. Every Saturday night this was
carried in water buckets aud left in the spring
house. This was about 50 yards from the
| house, in the edge Of the woods and We could
| get there without being seen.
The search became 50 close we had 10 leave
our cave in the hill aud fall back farther i'm
/
| II black. At night we would hunt the deepest
darkest hollows, stretch our tent, then fiji il
| full of leaves and burrOw in. At DAYLIGHT we
would scatter our leaves destroying all signs,
and go 10 the top of the highest peaks and
watch all day for rebel details, who were scour-
ing the country in every direction. Each day
| was a repetition OF the one before. Every week
| we would go 10 place near Aunt's house, al
| ways at night. On a hill overlooking the
house we would give the call of the great
horned owl. This three times repeated would
bring one Of the girls and little boys TO us.
Starting in an opposite direction from the call.
| they would circle around until they reached
| u.s. bringing us provisions and the news
j had been gone from home more than
month, and had not heard from there. tried
10 persuade my cousin 10 go home with me, but
as he would not risk the attempt concluded
10 go alone. i came into Aunt Aliens one
night, intending TO stop there and 20 on home
the next night. Ny aunt thought il would be
safe for me 10 sleep in the stable loft, as no
rebels had been around for some days. Taking
Jackie" her l0-year-Old son. we crawled up
IN the fodder, and were soon fast asleep.
i was awakened by Jackie, late in the
night, shaking me and saying he believed he
heard some one talking. l crawled to the door
and looked down. The moon was giving n
| faint light. j could see several men standing
below me- while more were in the yard at the
house. AS / looked they knocked at the door
and demanded admittance. Ny aunt and her
daughters refused, and commenced piling
things against ii to prevent them from burst
| ing 10 open. She did this on PURPOSE 10 mislead